Sailing School 2019

22.11.2018

For the 50th anniversary of the boot, the Sailing School invites families and beginner sailors but also experienced leisure skippers and sailing professionals to stay and participate. Courageous visitors can venture onto the water, while sailors with wanderlust can be enchanted by exciting adventure reports. The visitors are curious to learn everything about safety at sea from many instructors and learn what should not be forgotten for a fun family trip.

A small ocean full of magic

In order to leave unforgettable memories with the boot audience, both younger and older visitors can experience sailing in an optimist. Because wind and water are simply part of sailing, a 25 x 10-meter pool will also be set up in Hall 14 this year. Powerful fans generate enough wind to let the sailors glide over the water. Both large and small guests will be looked after safely and competently by the sailing instructors of the Unterbacher See.

The school on the water

On the weekdays in the mornings, numerous students from the Düsseldorf suburbs learn to sail as part of the "boot4school" campaign. Before going out on the water, a dry exercise in a sailing simulator helps to gain a first impression of the tippy feeling in the optimist. The students expect different program points, among other things they learn the basic structure of a boat. The basic principle of sailing and the most important knots are also taught in the theoretical part. Then the sails are set and the life jackets are put on in order to try out and apply the learned knowledge on the water.

Taking part is expressly invited

The Sailing School also offers a varied programme and exciting activities for visitors who prefer to stay dry. Big and small captains are allowed to steer remote-controlled boats with a length of 1.20 meters over the pool from the edge of the pool every day of the week at 2.15 p.m. while RC sailing. The public will also be able to participate in the rigging contest organized by the Düsseldorfer Yachtclub e.V. and the daily knot session of the Verband Deutscher Sportbootschulen e.V.

A stage full of life

The stage can be found directly in front of the water pool, on which the two presenters Noemi Niestrath and Christian Zeelen skilfully and energetically lead through the varied stage programme. One of the highlights is the optimist race on the water pool, which is organized by Seglerverband Nordrhein Westfalen e.V.Sailing for big and small – with the whole family

Numerous lively talks invite the participants to linger and enjoy a variety of reports from different sailing trips. Among other things, the five-person Pilz family will take visitors on their two-year trip to the Caribbean. The sailing family shares many unforgettable experiences and impressions with the audience. The Gerlach family is also be on stage. In addition to their six children, the parents have many memories from their long-distance trip of several years in their luggage. The experienced skipper Gerhard Blank shows what an inexperienced sailor should consider for a successful vacation on the sea with family and children. Another exciting story is told by the Przybylski family on stage. Without much previous knowledge, they sailed off and learned a lot on the way, from which funny stories developed. Frank Jost shows the full range of possibilities of family sailing at Lake Constance, from optimists to charter yachts.

New friends and familiar faces

Erich Wilts & Peter Wiedekamm show the audience how a successful start in sailing can be achieved, whereupon Duncan Wells reveals the secret of stress-free sailing. Oliver Ochse gives exciting insights into dinghy sailing and Markus Spieker invites you to join him on the Alexander von Humboldt II with his fascinating sailing report. In addition to family sailing, the stage also deals with the topic of safety on the water.

Rescued as if by magic

The leakage expert Richard Jeske will demonstrate professional and safe behavior in case of water intrusion with the support of the damage professional Dirk Hilcken from Pantaenius Yachtversicherungen. The 8-meter yacht "Meri Crash" serves as a test object with a real leak. Visitors can prove themselves as heroes and repair the leak. The sympathetic duo also shows how to save themselves on board in an emergency simulation in the pool.

Varied and fascinating talks

How recreational skippers behave best in a dangerous situation and which safety aspects should be observed at all costs is shown by the Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft e.V., among others, with a live demonstration in the pool. The professional rescue of shipwrecked people will be presented by the Deutschen Roten Kreuz e.V. and the correct handling of Seareq's rescue systems will be demonstrated by simulating an emergency. The German Weather Service shows how the sea weather report is produced and what is to be considered for meteorological safety on the high seas.

The Sailing School is definitely worth a visit for the youngest sailors and families as well as for the more experienced sailors. The spectators can look forward to live shows, reports of experiences, colorful lectures and exciting sailing training. The wide range of the stage programme guarantees unforgettable and magical moments.

Further information can be found under the heading "Sailing" on the boot Düsseldorf homepage at www.boot.de and on the Facebook page "Boot Düsseldorf".